Marcos organizing ‘conclave’ to tackle online gaming question

BENGALURU, India — Despite calls for a total ban on online gaming, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. reiterated that options must be re-examined to craft an effective policy.

Marcos said the matter should be discussed thoroughly with concerned sectors such as the church, parents, and health professionals.

“I don't know what you call them. Internally, we are calling it a conclave to put all of the interested parties such as CBCP [who] has been very vocal on their position so they must be heard then we have to hear about from experts on addiction,” he said.

“We have to hear from parents and from teachers as to what the effects are on children we have to hear from the police what are the effects in terms of criminality,” he added.

Banning not a solution

Marcos stressed that banning online gaming is not necessarily the solution. He cited the case of e-sabong, noting that its operations continued underground even after being prohibited.

“What happened to e-sabong? We banned it. Was it stopped? How much is the bet on e-sabong? 50 cents. So, everyone is affected. So, let's use that as an example. Was our ban on e-sabong successful? If not, why wasn't it successful? Those are the things we need to study,” he said. “And now, since we've seen that there's a problem, how can we fix the problem, is the solution to ban it? Or will we do something else?”

“That's the question now. What will we do? If not ban it, what will we do? That's what I'm hoping all of these different sectors of society will help will lead us to a good answer,” he added.

Marcos said he will also hear the side of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) to consider the revenue perspective but clarified that it is not central to the discussion.

“The revenue side of it is simply not a part of the discussion. Of course, you know, we use that revenue that we are collecting. But that's not really the main point. The complaint against any of these activities is really the social cost,” he said.

In the dark on GSIS

Meanwhile, Marcos said he was unaware that the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) made a $1-billion investment in an online gaming platform.

In a statement, GSIS said it fully supports transparency and accountability and will cooperate with oversight institutions and regulatory bodies regarding its investment in DigiPlus Interactive Corp.

“We welcome the scrutiny and call for public disclosure from various sectors, and we are prepared to present all relevant documents and data to the appropriate authorities. As stewards of public trust, we affirm our unwavering commitment to act in the best interests of our members and pensioners,” it said.

The GSIS assured members that the Fund remains financially sound.

“We assure our members, pensioners, and the Filipino public that the GSIS Social Insurance Fund remains strong, secure, and actuarially sound. As of June 2025, GSIS has total assets of P1.88 trillion and recorded a Net Operating Income of P76.82 billion, representing a 31% increase compared to the same period last year. We have consistently enjoyed a 5 year average return on investments at 6.75%,” it added.